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Drunk On Books (Various Genres) 📚📖🤓
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items A list of books from various genres that I've loved. If horror is your jam, I have a whole separate list for that because that's my favorite. This is for all other genres!
(Some (not all) links are affiliate links.)
Sections
6
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Fantasy/Dark Fantasy
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Thriller/Mystery/Crime
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Contemporary
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Peter Pan/Retellings
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Nonfiction
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Classics
Fantasy/Dark Fantasy
I like to read fantasy from time to time and my go to's are usually ones with fun characters.
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Joe Abercrombie is one of my favorite fantasy authors. I love his characters. This latest book by him is no exception. Your classic band of misfits type story but with a fantasy twist!
The Devils|Hardcover
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These were the first Joe Abercrombie books I read and knew that I would be reading a lot more of him. He creates the best characters and this trilogy is a wild ride. Conspiracies and old scores to be settled, bring an unlikely group of characters tog...
The First Law Trilogy|Paperback
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Fantasy + vampires just sounded like a good combination to me. I have not read the second one yet but I really enjoyed this one.
Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire Book One)|Paperback
Thriller/Mystery/Crime
These kind of go hand in hand with horror but I'd say they're a bit safer. Check out other list for horror recs!
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One of my favorite authors and he's only written a few books. I'm not quite sure of the genre to put this in but it has a supernatural element to it yet also contemporary. It's a coming of age story about a town where when young teens go through pube...
When We Were Animals|Paperback
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I adore Flannery O'Connor and her writing. If you like southern gothic type stories, she's your girl.
The Complete Stories (Centennial Edition) (National Book Award Winner)|Paperback
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I finally read this a few years ago and loved it. A woman marries a wealthy widower only to be overshadowed by the memory of his late wife. A classic thriller with an unreliable narrator.
Rebecca|Paperback
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I guess this would be a considered a gothic romance? A woman bored with high society falls in with a French pirate and an affair ensues. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!
Frenchman's Creek|Paperback
Contemporary
I don't read a whole lot of contemporary but still wanted to make a list for the few favorites that I have.
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Another Joshua Gaylord novel. This is his debut book about the secret lives of teachers and prep school students.
Hummingbirds: A Novel by Joshua Gaylord, Paperback
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Disturbing. Captivating. Horrifying. A mother trying to come to terms with the violence her son enacts and motherhood she never wanted.
We Need to Talk about Kevin|Paperback
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This was a fun one. Greek gods trying to survive existing in the 21st century. I'm a bit of a mythology nerd so this was an entertaining read.
Gods Behaving Badly: A Novel|Paperback
Peter Pan/Retellings
Peter Pan has been one of my favorite books since I was a kid. I have also read lots of retellings and reimaginings and wanted to share those favorites.
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I liked reading this because, not only does it have the play version of Peter Pan, it has other Barrie plays that I've never read before.
Peter Pan and Other Plays: The Admirable Crichton; Peter Pan; When Wendy Grew Up; What Every Woman Knows; Mary Rose|Paperback
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This was one of the first retellings I ever read. I met the author at a Ren Faire years ago, doing a book signing and I've been hooked (get it?) ever since. There are currently 4 books in the Hook and Jill saga and there will be one more to complete ...
Hook & Jill|Hardcover
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Book 2 in the Hook and Jill saga.
Other Oceans: Book Two of the Hook & Jill Saga|Hardcover
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Book 3 in the Hook and Jill Saga. (I love these covers too. I miss old school hand painted cover art)
Other Islands: Book Three of the Hook & Jill Saga|Hardcover
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Book 4 of the Hook and Jill Saga. This is the most recent installment. There will only be one more left!
The Wider World: Book Four of the Hook & Jill Saga|Hardcover
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Very dark retelling of Peter Pan but I loved it. And Brom's art is so good!
The Child Thief: A Novel|Paperback
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This is a retelling from Hook's perspective. Also very dark but so good.
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook|Paperback
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This is a must for any Peter Pan fan. This is a big, almost coffee table size, book that has not only the story, but the history of Barrie, the Llewellyn Davies family, etc.
The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) (The Annotated Books)|Hardcover
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Obviously I have the original novel on this list. I have a few different editions as it's hard to pick a favorite cover 😂
Peter Pan (Signature Classics)|Paperback
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I'm putting this in my Peter Pan section but it is non fiction. It covers the history Peter Pan in pop culture. Good addition for any Peter Pan fan!
Second Star to the Right: Peter Pan in the Popular Imagination|Paperback
Nonfiction
I don't read a ton of non-fiction but I do have some that I love.
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So I have pretty bad health anxiety and, ironically, reading about medicine from back in the day makes me feel better and grateful that we live in a world woth modern medicine 😂. This is about surgery in the 19th century and it is horrifying.
The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine|Paperback
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When my grandma passed away in the early 2000s, she donated her body to science. I didn't know that was an option until her and I thought it was an incredible thing to do. This book is about what they potentially do with your body when you donate it ...
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers|Paperback
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Truly terrifying considering what's currently going on in the country right now. Highly recommend
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation|Paperback
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This was depressing but it's also needed. Violence against women has always been a thing but it seems like it has ramped up so much more within the last decade. The author breaks all this down really well.
Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists: The Truth about Extreme Misogyny and How it Affects Us All|Paperback
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Possibly the first book on parasocial relationships lol? This fun biography is about a woman who's love life is affected by her obsession with movie stars. Very interesting
Choking on Marlon Brando: A Film Critic's Memoir
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A fun, interesting book on the influence of Dracula and vampires!
Sundays with Vlad: From Pennsylvania to Transylvania, One Man's Quest to Live in the World of the Undead|eBook
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Author Caitlin Doughty shares her experiences and insights working in a crematorium.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory|Paperback
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So far, I've loved Lindsey Fitzharris' books including this one. An interesting look into the early days of plastic surgery, we follow a surgeon who helps disfigured soldiers.
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I|Paperback
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Growing up in Illinois, Svengoolie was a staple in our house. We still watch him! This is the history of horror movie shows in the Chicagoland area.
Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie|Paperback
Classics
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Warning: this is a big book. Over a thousand pages. But boy is it good. I was surprised at how it held my attention for being so long. The classic revenge adventure tale. Falsely accused Edmond Dantes plans revenge while being imprisoned.
The Count of Monte Cristo|Paperback
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I always loved the Three Musketeers story. I watched a lot iterations of it growing up. I finally read the full novel as an adult and loved it!
The Three Musketeers: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)|Paperback
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Jane Eyre. What is there to say about this one? An absolute classic. Also technically a Gothic romance.
Jane Eyre|Paperback